💊 Chemical information

Pharmacopoeias.

In Eur., US, and Viet.

Ph. Eur. 6.2

(Eugenol). A colourless or pale yellow liquid with a strong odour of clove. Practically insoluble in water and in glycerol; freely soluble in alcohol (70%); miscible with alcohol, with glacial acetic acid, with dichloromethane, and with fatty oils. Eugenol darkens in colour on exposure to air. Store in wellfilled containers. Protect from light.

USP 31

(Eugenol). It is obtained from clove oil or from other sources. A colourless or pale yellow liquid having a strongly aromatic odour of clove. Upon exposure to air, it darkens and thickens. Slightly soluble in water; miscible with alcohol, with chloroform, with ether, and with fixed oils. Store in airtight containers. Protect from light.

💊 Profile

Eugenol is a constituent of clove oil and some other essential oils. It is used in dentistry, often mixed with zinc oxide, as a temporary anodyne dental filling, and is an ingredient in oral hygiene preparations. Eugenol has been used as a flavour. Eugenol is an irritant and sensitiser and can produce local anaesthesia. It is reported to inhibit prostaglandin synthesis. For the pulmonary effects of eugenol inhalation from clove cigarettes, see Abuse, under Clove.